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Creamy Chicken Pasta With Blue Cheese Sauce

This pasta is wonderfully rich without being too heavy, with the broccoli and pine nuts adding a bit of extra texture. Remember, blue cheese doesn’t have to mean Stilton. You could always try slightly creamier Gorgonzola or Cashel Blue, or stick with cheddar if you want to avoid strong flavours.

Serves: 4Prep Time: 5-10 minutesCook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

100g pine nuts

2 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken fillets, chopped into bitesized pieces

Salt and black pepper

160g broccoli, chopped into florets

1 large handful of frozen peas

350g spaghetti

For the blue cheese sauce:

240ml low-fat milk

240ml light cream

120g blue cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, being watchful as they burn easily. Remove and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat half of the oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken to a plate.

3. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil. Cook the broccoli and peas for 2-3 minutes until the broccoli turns bright green and the peas are no longer frozen. Transfer to a plate.

4. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it is al dente. Drain,reserving a little of the pasta water.

5. Place the milk, cream and blue cheese together in a large pan over a medium heat. Whisk together until combined and smooth, seasoning well. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce becomes too thick for your liking, add a splash of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine.

6. Add the cooked chicken, vegetables and spaghetti into the sauce and toss well to coat.

7. Divide between serving bowls and serve topped with the toasted pine nuts.

About the Author

Easy Food is Ireland's No.1 food magazine and always answers the question, “What’s for dinner?". It is the ultimate kitchen and cooking guide for home cooks, with every issue containing a delicious mix of cooking tips, budget recipes, easy meal ideas and nutritional information. We have step-by-step recipes with accompanying cook-along videos on our YouTube channel, as well as practical information from Home Economics teachers in each issue. There’s something for everyone, as young cooks can flip to the Kids’ Kitchen section for fun kitchen tips, kid-friendly cooking products and a cut-out-and-keep recipe that they’re sure to love! Check out Easy Food on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.